Droid Life » Toqhttp://www.droid-life.com
An intense Android news community bringing you the latest in phones, rooting, apps, and reviews.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 22:30:45 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Timex Reveals the IronMan One GPS+, a Chunky Fitness Tracker With Cellular Connectivityhttp://www.droid-life.com/2014/08/06/timex-reveals-the-ironman-one-gps-a-chunky-fitness-tracker-with-cellular-connectivity/
http://www.droid-life.com/2014/08/06/timex-reveals-the-ironman-one-gps-a-chunky-fitness-tracker-with-cellular-connectivity/#commentsWed, 06 Aug 2014 17:50:48 +0000http://www.droid-life.com/?p=147203Timex Reveals the IronMan One GPS+, a Chunky Fitness Tracker With Cellular Connectivity is a post from: Droid Life
]]>Many of the most popular smartwatches rely on a Bluetooth-paired smartphone for internet connectivity, but watchmaker Timex is taking a different tact with its first foray into the “smart peripheral” space. When it launches, the IronMan One GPS+ will be one of the few watches on the market to pack a cellular radio, along with a whole bunch of other electronic goodies.

The highlight of the IronMan One is its Mirasol display. Adopting the same technology used in Qualcomm’s Toq, the watch will save battery by intelligently switching between full-color LCD and e-ink. The Toq left us extremely impressed, so we’re pleased to see another manufacturer adopting Qualcomm’s technology.

The smartwatch also sports a Snapdragon processor, GPS, a Bluetooth radio, 4GB of flash storage, and a water-resistant exterior. The aforementioned cellular functions work exclusively on AT&T. Buyers get one year of service for free.

In terms of software offerings, the IronMan One seems fairly bare. SMS and email is accessible via cell service, and built-in playback controls let you listen to music on a paired headset, but that’s about the extent of the features other than fitness tracking. Third-party support is, at least at launch, nonexistent – beyond routing workout data to websites like RunKeeper, Strava, and MapMyFitness, the watch won’t interact with any of your smartphone’s apps.

For all the hardware, something had to be compromised. The IronMan One is huge, measuring 2 inches horizontally and vertically. Considering the purpose – fitness tracking – stylistics were probably the last consideration, but it’s a shame Timex wasn’t able to cut down on the thickness.

The IronMan One GPS+ runs costly at $399. It’s available for preorder now, along with a Bluetooth heart rate monitor bundle. The watch comes in black and grey, and will arrive in brick-and-mortar stores later this year.

]]>http://www.droid-life.com/2014/08/06/timex-reveals-the-ironman-one-gps-a-chunky-fitness-tracker-with-cellular-connectivity/feed/33Qualcomm Toq Reviewhttp://www.droid-life.com/2014/03/14/qualcomm-toq-review/
http://www.droid-life.com/2014/03/14/qualcomm-toq-review/#commentsFri, 14 Mar 2014 23:25:35 +0000http://www.droid-life.com/?p=131981Qualcomm Toq Review is a post from: Droid Life
]]>With a stack of smartwatches having sat on the corner of my desk for the last three or four months, it’s finally time that we start running through reviews of them all. The stack is only going to grow over the coming year, so it’s probably best that we give you something to compare the new stuff to. These will be “quick” reviews that cover the basics and also offer my opinions on what I like and don’t like.

First up, is without a doubt my favorite of the moment – the Qualcomm Toq. I know what you are probably thinking, and yes, it’s overpriced, oversized, and was originally supposed to be just an outlet for Qualcomm to show off their Mirasol display. But I’m actually loving it.

Let’s talk about why.

What I Like

Battery Life

A smartwatch shouldn’t need to be charged every day or even every third day. My regular watch doesn’t need to be. Sure, my phone, tablet, and laptop do, but I don’t want to add another item to that list. With the Toq, you are looking at days and days (anywhere from 3-6 depending on use) without needing to use its awkward charger. The Mirasol display sips power, even though it displays in full color.

Display

Speaking of display, Qualcomm used its Mirasol display tech that we hope more companies adopt for wearables. It displays full color, is easy on battery life, and actually gets more visible in sunlight. Mirasol uses light around it to make it more visible, so it’s actually easier to see in the brightest hour of the day than it is at night. Thankfully, there is a light that can be triggered during those dark hours.

The 1.55-inch display is also touch sensitive, but more importantly, is on all of the time. In other words, you don’t have to flick your wrist or tap a button to see what time it is – the Toq is always on, yet still lasts for days on a single charge.

App

If you have ever used the Galaxy Gear or Pebble (pre 2.0) apps, then you’ll know how terrible they are. The Toq app, on the other hand, is fantastic. The UI is simple, but still has all sorts of settings that can be tweaked. You can select which apps you’d like to see notifications from, setup multiple weather/world times, decide on music apps, pick clock and icon styles, choose calendars, and even tweak things like light duration.

It’s a solid watch companion app that is also used to push through updates.

Design

I actually really like the look of the Toq outside of its size. Appearance is something that can be debated for days, but the combination of metal, rubber, and plastic make for a premium feeling watch. It certainly feels a lot nicer than both Pebbles and the Sony Smartwatch 2.

Even though it is quite large, the watch head isn’t as thick as some other smartwatches. The white coloring of mine allows the watch to go with almost anything you are wearing, plus it all contours quite nicely around your arm. There are no off-putting buttons, just a big face and a couple of cutouts at the wrist strap. It reminds me a bit of a Diesel watch.

It does require that you cut the band to size, something that makes it yours for keeps and is quite the confusing move.

Notification Handling

Unlike the Samsung Gear watches, the Toq works with every Android device (Android 4.0.3+) and also lets you tell it which notifications from which apps you’d like to receive. As notifications arrive, they show in mini-previews that give you just enough info. You can’t really act upon any of them, so like with other smartwatches, you have to head over to your phone to do the real work. But the fact that the Toq lets you pick and choose from all of your apps, and then shows you real info in your notifications (like Pebble) does, makes this a “like.”

Clock Styles

As I write this post, Qualcomm has included 19 watch or clock styles that can easily be changed on your Toq. They actually did a great job designing most, as well, with styles ranging from a simple clock with a colorful background to those that have date, location, weather, or calendar appointments. You can easily flip between them using the black touch-bar on the bottom of the display.

What I Don’t Like

Size

The Toq is huge. It’s bigger than every other major smartwatch on the planet, including the Sony Smartwatch 2, Galaxy Gear, and of course, Pebble. I can get down with it, but I often find that I take it off throughout the day to give my arm a rest. It’s so big, that doing a little shimmy with your wrist and long-sleeved shirt some times doesn’t even unveil the whole watch for time or notification checking.

Navigating the UI

The navigation of and around the Toq takes some time to figure out. There is a touch sensitive area on the wristband just under the display that brings you into your apps. It’s hit or miss whether or not this will work each time you tap it. Once in your apps section, you can swipe right to get into your favorite apps or scroll up or down through a list of the rest. From within an app, a swipe right takes you back one screen, but you can also swipe along the black bar at the bottom of the display, though it is completely inconsistent in what it wants to do. Some times a swipe left will get you into previous notifications, while at other times it does nothing.

I’m telling you, I’ve had the watch for a couple of months, and it still doesn’t make sense to me. I stick to my favorite apps, dismissing notifications, and switch clock faces from time to time. That’s it.

Cutting the Watch Band

Qualcomm couldn’t figure out an adjustable watch strap, so they ask that you size it yourself, and then cut off excess in order to wear the Toq. I’m serious. They actually ask you to cut your watch strap with a pair of scissors within the first few minutes of owning their few hundred dollar watch. If you cut it too short, well, good luck!

I got mine right the first time, but you can imagine how many people could get this wrong. Woof.

Price

The Toq originally debuted for $350, which as you can imagine, is way too steep of a price. It is now available for a much more reasonable $250 in both black and white. At $250, I’d argue that the watch is worth it, though not everyone can justify a cost like that, especially for a watch that was really made to showcase a display tech. I’ll just say this – if Pebble can sell their new Steel for $250, then the Toq is well worth it since it is a much better watch (in my opinion) in terms of features and build quality.

Other

White version discoloration: I own the white Toq and have already started to see some discoloration in the watch band after only a month or two of use. The band is made of white rubber, but if it’s happening this soon, I can’t imagine how bad it might look in a year from now. You may want to consider the black version.

No camera: While I do not care that the watch doesn’t have a camera built-in, many others today do. If you want a camera on your smartwatch for creepshots, the Toq is not for you.

Battery enclosure: I’m pretty sure that the battery is housed in the enclosure of the the watch strap of the Toq. That’s unfortunate, because it adds bulk to the underside of your wrist and can be uncomfortable at times.

Final Thoughts

The Toq, as of today, is my favorite smartwatch because of a combination of its design, the fact that it has a touch-colorscreen that is on all of the time, shows notifications from whatever apps I choose, works on almost all Android devices, and doesn’t need to be charged but once a week. The price doesn’t make it the cheapest watch around, but the premium build quality and experience have made it worth it to me.

Related Stories

]]>http://www.droid-life.com/2014/03/14/qualcomm-toq-review/feed/30HTC Plans Closed Door Preview of Upcoming Smartwatch for Carriers at MWChttp://www.droid-life.com/2014/02/20/htc-plans-closed-door-preview-of-upcoming-smartwatch-for-carriers-at-mwc/
http://www.droid-life.com/2014/02/20/htc-plans-closed-door-preview-of-upcoming-smartwatch-for-carriers-at-mwc/#commentsThu, 20 Feb 2014 17:12:47 +0000http://www.droid-life.com/?p=132680HTC Plans Closed Door Preview of Upcoming Smartwatch for Carriers at MWC is a post from: Droid Life
]]>According to sources of Bloomberg, HTC plans to preview its smartwatch(es) at MWC to carriers next week. It was reported earlier in the month that HTC hopes to have wearable devices hit the market by Christmas, which was stated by the company’s CFO in an interview.

Details are popping up from the same source of Bloomberg, stating that the first smartwatch HTC plans to preview next week will feature a Qualcomm Mirasol display, which is built into the company’s Toq smartwatch. If you ask anyone that uses the Toq, they will immediately say that the display is one of the best features, so HTC might be making a good move on this one.

Another smartwatch, which may or may not be previewed next week, will be powered by Google Now according to the source. This watch will feature a AMOLED display, which is the same display technology Samsung used on the first Galaxy Gear.

To round out the lineup, the source states that HTC is also working on a smart wristband, which will feature a smaller touchscreen display, capable of controlling music and tracking fitness.

Depending on the success of the One (2014), HTC may be need a few devices to help keep the company afloat. For now, let’s just hope these smartwatches would be compatible with all Android devices and not exclusive to just HTC hardware.

]]>http://www.droid-life.com/2014/02/20/htc-plans-closed-door-preview-of-upcoming-smartwatch-for-carriers-at-mwc/feed/29Qualcomm Toq Updated With Activity Tracking, Activity and World Clockshttp://www.droid-life.com/2014/02/11/qualcomm-toq-updated-with-activity-tracking-activity-and-world-clocks/
http://www.droid-life.com/2014/02/11/qualcomm-toq-updated-with-activity-tracking-activity-and-world-clocks/#commentsTue, 11 Feb 2014 16:53:11 +0000http://www.droid-life.com/?p=132022Qualcomm Toq Updated With Activity Tracking, Activity and World Clocks is a post from: Droid Life
]]>I know that none of you actually own a Qualcomm Toq – because it costs an insane $350 – but if you did, you’ll want to grab today’s update. My lovely white Toq received one today that introduced activity tracking (and matching clock), along with a world clock, and the option to switch over to Celsius. And yeah, that’s pretty much it. But it really is worth noting for this new “beta” activity tracking, especially if you don’t want to wear a smartwatch and a fitness band at the same time (like me).

The activity tracking acts like any other activity tracker, in that it tries to count points for you based on your movement throughout a day. So far, while sitting at my desk and not moving an inch since updating, I’ve grabbed 43 points. Killin’ it.

Also, we’ll have a Toq review up shortly. I had been holding out until the white version was released to dive into this product, and since we picked up the white version the minute it was available, we have spent enough time with it to report back. Spoiler alert, it’s actually one of the better smartwatches around, if you can deal with its size.

What’s New

Version 1.3.0

New “World Clock” clock style allows you to toggle through the local time and weather in your favorite cities

New Activity Applet (Beta) monitors your activity while wearing Toq and tracks your activity “points” over a 24 hour period. View a history of your daily activity point totals in the Toq Android app.

New ”Activity” clock style shows the time plus your current activity ‘points’ at a glance

Adds ability to select temperature scale in either Celsius or Fahrenheit

]]>http://www.droid-life.com/2014/02/11/qualcomm-toq-updated-with-activity-tracking-activity-and-world-clocks/feed/3Qualcomm Toq Smartwatch Price Lowered to $299 During CES Promohttp://www.droid-life.com/2014/01/06/qualcomm-toq-smartwatch-price-lowered-to-299-during-ces-promo/
http://www.droid-life.com/2014/01/06/qualcomm-toq-smartwatch-price-lowered-to-299-during-ces-promo/#commentsMon, 06 Jan 2014 15:52:52 +0000http://www.droid-life.com/?p=129019Qualcomm Toq Smartwatch Price Lowered to $299 During CES Promo is a post from: Droid Life
]]>Usually priced at a steep $349.99, the Toq smartwatch from Qualcomm is quite the high-end device. With its Mirasol display, to its quirky wristband that you must cut in order to size to your wrist, the watch is being adopted at a steady pace it would seem for anyone willing to drop that kind of cash.

In a sweet move, Qualcomm is now offering the device through its website and Amazon for the price of just $299 as a CES promo. That’s a solid $50 off full retail.

To celebrate the International Consumer Electronics Show, taking place in Las Vegas this week, we are delighted to announce a special offer of $50 off the regular retail price of the black Qualcomm® Toq™ smartwatch.

This price promotion will be available this week only, January 6-11, 2014.*

If you have been debating the Toq’s price and was waiting for a deal on them, now would be the time. Although, I personally would hold off until we know for sure what Pebble plans to announce this morning at CES.

]]>http://www.droid-life.com/2014/01/06/qualcomm-toq-smartwatch-price-lowered-to-299-during-ces-promo/feed/13Qualcomm Toq Smartwatch Now Available for Pre-order, Still Listed at $349.99http://www.droid-life.com/2013/11/25/qualcomm-toq-smartwatch-now-available-for-pre-order-still-listed-at-349-99/
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/11/25/qualcomm-toq-smartwatch-now-available-for-pre-order-still-listed-at-349-99/#commentsMon, 25 Nov 2013 18:53:34 +0000http://www.droid-life.com/?p=125608Qualcomm Toq Smartwatch Now Available for Pre-order, Still Listed at $349.99 is a post from: Droid Life
]]>Back on November 18, Qualcomm announced that the Toq smartwatch would officially become available on December 2 for the price of $349. The price blew some people out of the water, but Qualcomm seems quite set on that price point. This morning, they have opened up pre-orders for the device, which will allow you to secure your place as one of the first adopters of the Toq.

For those not familiar with Qualcomm’s take on wearables, the Toq features a Mirasol display that allows the device to be seen easily in bright sunlight, but also last for days without a charge. The Toq has no buttons, shows information you need at a glance, is always ready for your interaction, can charge wirelessly, and probably does more useful tasks than the Samsung Galaxy Gear out of the box.

Our community seems to have already said “no” to the price, but that’s not too surprising.

]]>http://www.droid-life.com/2013/11/25/qualcomm-toq-smartwatch-now-available-for-pre-order-still-listed-at-349-99/feed/27Qualcomm Toq Available December 2 for $349http://www.droid-life.com/2013/11/18/qualcomm-toq-available-december-2-for-349/
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/11/18/qualcomm-toq-available-december-2-for-349/#commentsMon, 18 Nov 2013 11:47:28 +0000http://www.droid-life.com/?p=124687Qualcomm Toq Available December 2 for $349 is a post from: Droid Life
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This morning, Qualcomm announced that its smartwatch, dubbed the Toq, will be available December 2 at the starting price of $349.

For those not familiar with Qualcomm’s take on wearables, the Toq features a Mirasol display that allows the device to be seen easily in bright sunlight, but also last for days without a charge. The Toq has no buttons, shows information you need at a glance, is always ready for your interaction, can charge wirelessly, and probably does more useful tasks than the Samsung Galaxy Gear out of the box.

With that said, talk about a risky price. The Galaxy Gear is $299 and is considered by almost everyone to be too expensive even with its camera and solid build quality. Since Qualcomm isn’t necessarily known for making consumer products, I’m not sure how the general public is going to react.

Yesterday, amid Samsung’s announcement of its very own Galaxy Gear smartwatch, Qualcomm unveiled Toq. The Toq is a Android-exclusive smartwatch that features a reflective Mirasol display, which will allow wearers to view it in any type of lighting. The watch also features wireless charging, plus is capable of running a multitude of applications such as messaging apps, a phone app, email and calendar. It’s your basic smartwatch, but brings a sense of luxury and efficiency that Qualcomm hopes justifies the $300 price tag.

According to CNET, the watch will launch this October and pre-orders should be up very soon. From what a Qualcomm spokesperson stated, the company actually only intends to sell a limited amount of units, reaching to only the “tens of thousands.” No word on why they are limiting production.

]]>http://www.droid-life.com/2013/09/05/qualcomm-toq-smartwatch-launches-in-october-will-cost-you-300/feed/70Qualcomm Announces Toq Smartwatch, Seemed Like the Perfect Day to do Thathttp://www.droid-life.com/2013/09/04/qualcomm-announces-toq-smartwatch-seemed-like-the-perfect-day-to-do-that/
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/09/04/qualcomm-announces-toq-smartwatch-seemed-like-the-perfect-day-to-do-that/#commentsWed, 04 Sep 2013 20:08:11 +0000http://www.droid-life.com/?p=118858Qualcomm Announces Toq Smartwatch, Seemed Like the Perfect Day to do That is a post from: Droid Life
]]>

Today, the same day that Samsung announced its very own smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear, Qualcomm decided to unveil the Toq. The Toq is the processor-giant’s flagship smartwatch, capable of syncing with your smartphone, then controlling many aspects of the device. The watch can easily handle your music, weather forecasts, text messages, phone calls and your schedule. It features a interferometric modulator display, which “leverages the light around it so you can see your screen anywhere, even in bright sunlight.”

A feature that makes Toq unique is the ability to wirelessly charge the device with a specially designed dock from Qualcomm. Unfortunately, not many specifications were announced, one of the only ones being that it supports any Android device running Android 4.0.3 or higher, and that it comes equipped with Bluetooth 4.0. No word on screen size, battery size or anything else.

SAN DIEGO — September 4, 2013 — Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Inc., will release a Qualcomm branded smartwatch in Q4 of 2013. Designed to serve as a second display to your smartphone, the Qualcomm® Toq™ (‘talk’) smartwatch will feature proprietary Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, Inc.’s Qualcomm® Mirasol™ display technology, a revolutionary reflective, low-power display that enables an always on viewing experience, wireless charging by Qualcomm WiPower™ LE technology and a true stereo Bluetooth audio experience, all while offering its wearer long battery life with seamless connectivity to their smartphone.

“Toq’s always on, always connected, always visible wearable technology gives you a ‘Digital 6th Sense,’ telling you what you need to know, when you need to know it, with just a glance at your wrist or a whisper in your ear. Toq is a showcase for the benefits of the Mirasol display, WiPower LE and stereo Bluetooth technologies and highlights the experience that the wearable category can provide,” said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of Qualcomm. “Toq not only represents a long history of technological innovation for Qualcomm, but it also demonstrates our commitment to delivering the breakthrough technologies that redefine the ways we interact with each other and the world around us.”

The introduction of this limited edition smartwatch will feature the key technologies necessary to deliver unique experiences on wearable devices. The color capacitive touchscreen display is always on – similar to a traditional watch – with days of battery life before the device needs to be recharged. In fact, Toq’s power profile is so low that it does not require an on/off button. Recharging Toq is hassle-free, as it also is the world’s first smartwatch to incorporate the Qualcomm® WiPower™ LE technology, enabling a true “drop and go” charging experience.

With Toq, consumers will be able to manage smartphone calls, text messages, meeting reminders and various notifications from their wrist. Developers also will be able to tap into Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc.’s AllJoyn™ framework to send program notifications to the smartwatch through the Qualcomm Toq app, which supports the AllJoyn Notification Services Framework. Qualcomm will continue adding functionality to the Toq through software upgrades, including integration with Qualcomm Life, Inc.’s 2net platform and the recently announced 2net Mobile software. Toq provides participants of the 2net ecosystem the opportunity to deliver new, compelling ways for consumer to manage their health. Qualcomm Life and Qualcomm Innovation Center are subsidiaries of Qualcomm Incorporated.

Toq also will be made available in a “Premium Audio Edition” that features the first truly wireless stereo headphones. This means no wires between the headsets for listening and no wires for recharging. Another key feature of the headset is that it sits outside the ear canal for all day comfort and wearability. The Toq Premium Audio Edition features high quality stereo sound with a dedicated tweeter and woofer for superior wide band audio. Calls can be placed with the smartphone using either of the headsets.

As this category grows, Qualcomm expects to closely collaborate with traditional ecosystem participants and new entrants to enable new product opportunities leveraging these industry-leading technologies, further driving forward the emerging wearables space.
At launch, Toq will be compatible with Android™ 4.0.3 and above mobile devices. For more information about the Toq, please visit www.toq.qualcomm.com.